Extension-arm for chairs.



F. E. PAYNE & M. M. HOUSE.

EXTENSION ARM FOR CHAIRS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 4, mos.

Patented'Nov. 9, 1 909.

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INVENTORS Floyd E. Payne. Milus M, House.

WITNESSES: V

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EXTENSION ARM FOR GHAIBS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1908.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

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uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu c UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

FLOYD E. PAYNE AND MILUS M. HOUSE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

EXTENSION-ARM FOR CHAIRS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FLOYD E. PAYNE and MILUS M. HOUSE, of Indianapolis,county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new anduseful Extension-Arm for Chairs; and we do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear,

and exact description thereof, reference beed in connection therewith,and preferably under the stationary arm, in such manner that the movablearm can be adjusted longis tudinally of the stationary arm so as topractically increase the length of the widened arms, or be turnedlaterally in front of the occupant of the chair so that the two armswill be at right angles to eachother.

Another feature of the invention consists in the means substantially setforth for guid ing and holding said movable arm so that the structurewill be of a durable character and easil manipulated.

The fu 1 nature of this invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chair provided withour invention, the legs of the chair being partly broken away. Fig. 2 isa front elevation of the left hand portion of the chair, showing thewidened arms, other parts of the chair being broken away. Fig. 3 is aplan view of the widened arms with the movable arm telescoped outwardly,parts being broken away, it being a horizontal section on the line 3-3of Flg. 2, the obscured parts being shown by dotted lines. Fig. 4 is aview similar to that in Fig. 3 with the movable arms turned laterally.Fig. 5 is a section similar to that of Fig. 3 but on the under dicatedby dotted lines.

side ofthe widened arms, the movable arm being in its normal position,and the guide way in the stationary arm being partially in- Fig. 6 isthe same as Fig. 5 with the movable arm turned laterally. Fig. 7 is asection on the line 77 of Fig. 5 but wit-h the parts inverted ascompared with Fig. 5 but both in their normal position. Fig. 8 is asection on the line 88 of Fig. 5, likewise inverted but all the parts ina normal position. Fig. 9 is a horizontal section on the line 9-9 ofFig. 8. Fig. 10 is a vertical section on the line 1010 of Fig. 5. Fig.11 is a section on the line 1111 of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a section on theline 1212 of Fig. 10.

The construction herein shown to illustrate our invention consists'of achair 10 having back posts 11 and front posts 12 and back bars 110 ofordinarytype.

A stationary widened arm 13' is rigidly secured to the back post 11 andat the front end to the front post 12, the latter connection beingestablished by the metal bar 14 which extends diagonally under the arm,as

shown in Fig. 5, and has, nearly midway its ends, an outwardly extendingsleeve 15 that is rigidly secured to the upper end of the front post 12by the pin 16. The bar 14 at each end has an upwardly extending portion17 which is secured to the lateral edge of the stationary arm, as shownin Figs. 1 and 2.

The bar 14 1s spaced away'from the stationary arm 13, as seen in Fig. 2,to permit the movable arm 18 to lie and operate between them. The arms13 and 18 are herein shown to be of the same dimensions and means ashereinafter described are provided to enable the arm 18 tobe extendedforwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3, and, if desired, to beturned'laterally to the position shown in Fig. 4. In the latter positionthe arm 18 would be in front of the occupant of the chair. This rendersthe chair very serviceable for various purposes in lunch rooms,libraries and homes.

The movable'widened arm.18 is telescoped outwardly and inwardly to andfrom the position shown in Fig. 3 by reason of the followingconstruction. There is a longitudinally extending groove or way 20 inthe un-' der side of the arm 18 which extends from the small end thereoftoward the front end, as appears in Figs. 6 and 10. Within said groovethere is a guide-bar 21 secured along the bottom and side surfaces. Thebar 21 is grooved longitudinally, as appears in Fig. 10, for theengagement of anti-friction balls 22 which are held by the cup 23 thathas an outwardly extending stem 24C externally threaded to screw throughthe bottom of another ball cup 25 below. The ball cup 25 is externallythreaded to be secured in the ring 26 that is internally threaded andsecured to the sleeve 15. Within the cup 25 there are balls 27 on whichthe cup 23 rests. A nut 28 on the lower end of the stem 24 holds the cup23 from escaping from the cup 25. The cup 25 is stationary but the cup23 can turn or oscillate on the balls 27 and the guide 21 can movelongitudinally of the cup 23 between the balls 22, and thus the arm 18be drawn forwardly or pushed backwardly. In this forward and backwardmovement of the arm 18 it is guided at its rear end by the means shownin Fig. 6. There a groove 30 is provided in the underside of thestationary arm 13, that is much like the groove 20 in the movable armand it has within it a guide-bar 31 of the same form in cross-section asthe guide-bar 21, and it is otherwise the same excepting that theguide-bar 31 in the groove 30 is stationary while the guidebar 21 islongitudinally movable with the movable arm 18. In the rear end of themovable arm 18 there is a hole 32 vertically through it and a ring 33 issecured within the upper partof said hole to said arm 18. The ring isinternally threaded so the ball cup 3st can be secured to it. This ballcup carries balls 35 which engage the bottom of the ball cup 36 abovethat projects into the groove 30 of the stationary arm 13 and whichcontains balls 37 adapted to engage the bottom and sides of theguide-bar 31 which is grooved for that purpose. The cup 36 has adownwardly extending stem which projects through the bottom of the cup34 and has on its lower end a nut 38. A removable plate 39 closes thebottom of the hole 32. The construction just described and shown in Fig.8 is such that the lower arm 18 can be easily moved longitudinally ofthe upper arm and guideway 31, and in such movement the balls 37 willroll and the cup 36 travel along the guide-bar 31 and the inwardly toand from the position shown in Fig. 3, If it be desired that the arm 18have also the capacity of lateral movement so as to be in front of theoccupant: of the chair, it is necessary that the groove 30 and guide-bar31 on the under side of the stationary arm 13 be curved at its forwardend, as shown in Fig. (3, said curved portion thereof being concentricwith a vertical line through the post12 of the chair and the bearingsabove the same. as shown in Fig. 10. Therefore. after the movable arm 18has been drawn forwardly until the balls 37 and cup 36, in Fig. 8, andcarried by the lower arm 18, come to the beginning of the curved portionof the guide-bar 31. said arm 18 can be turned laterally. as indicatedin Fig. 6, and during such lateral movement of the arm the bearing carrid thereby. as shown in Fig. 8, travels along the curved portion of theguide-bar 31 to the end thereof.

During the movements of the movable arm 18 its upper surface is out ofcontact with the arm 13 above so that the moven'ient may be easy andfinish on the lower leaf be uninjured. This arises from the gravity ofthe plate 18 and the vertical adjustment of the balls and cups in thebearings.

In order to tighten the bearings for the guides so the movable arm canhave no lateral play, we provide a screw 100 that projects upwardlythrough the stem 2-1: of the cup 23 and the stem of the cup 36 with itsconcave upper end engaging and bearing upwardly against the lower ballsand 37. lVhen said screw is tightened up, it will force the guide 21 or31 upwardly in engagement with the lateral balls 22 or 37 to make thesets of balls 22 and 37 very tightly engage the guides 21 and 31.

The means for locking the movement of the arm in any desired position.consists here in ofa crank or handle -l-0 securedtothe outer end of theshaft l1 that extends horizontally through a portion of the stationaryarm 13. as seen in Fig. 10, to a point beyond the recess +l-2 in theunder side of said arm 13. \Vithin said recess a cam telis securedrigidly to the rod 41 with lateral, flanges thereon that engagecorrespondinglateral grooves in the top of said block 415, whereby thecam will elevate and depress said block. A. friction disk -17 made ofrubber or other yielding material is secured to the under side of theblock and adapted to engage the upper surface of the lower arm 18 aboveand in vertical alineinent with the bearings therefor, as shown in Fig.10, and the front post 12 of the chair. Therefore, when the crank 40 isturned in one direction the look ing disk 47 will be forced down tightlyupon the arm 18 and hold it from moving. \Vhen the crank 4-0 is turnedin the opposite direction said holding means will be released.

The invention is not limited to the details of the construction hereinset forth for various features thereof could be altered in a manner thatwould occur to the ordinary mechanic without departing from the spiritof the invention.

hat we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A chair including a stationary widened arm, a cross bar mounted onthe front post of the chair with its two ends secured to said stationaryarm and spaced from said arm, a movable widened arm mounted between saidstationary arm and cross bar, and means for guiding and holdin saidmovable arm.

2. A chair including a stationary widened arm, a bar secured upon thefront post of the chair under said arm and secured at its ends to theedges of said arm and spaced from said arm, a movable widened armlocated between said stationary arm and cross bar, a longitudinal guideon the under side of said movable arm, bearings mounted on saidcross-bar for said guide that permits the movable arm to be movedlongitudinally, -a longitudinal guide in the under side of saidstationary arm, and a bearing connected with the inner end of saidmovable arm that engages and travels along said guide.

3. A chair including a stationary widened arm, a transverse bar mountedon the front post of the chair with its ends secured to said arm andsaid arm spaced from said bar, a movable widened arm mounted betweensaid stationary arm and said bar, a bearing for said movable arm that ismounted on said bar and arranged to permit said movable arm to movelaterally, a guide on the under side of said stationary arm that iscurved concentrically with said bearing, and a bearing extending fromthe end of said movable arm in movable engagement with the guide on thestationary arm whereby the movable arm can be moved laterally inconnection with the stationary arm.

at. A chair including a stationary widened arm, a cross-bar mounted uponthe front post of the chair with its ends secured to the edges of saidarm and spaced therefrom, a movable arm between said stationary arm andbar, a bearing for said movable arm that is mounted on said bar andarranged to permit the movable arm to move longitudinally and laterally,a guide on the under side of said stationary arm that has a longitudinalportion and another portion curved concentrically with said bearing, andmeans'extending from said movable arm into movable engagement with theguide on the stationary arm whereby the movable arm may be movedlongitudinally and then laterally.

5. A chair including a stationary arm, a movable widened arm, means forsupporting the forward end of the stationary arm, a guide connected withsaid movable arm having lateral grooves therein, a bearing c011- nectedwith said support and projecting astride said guide and engaging-the armin said grooves, whereby said arm will not only be movable but thevertical relationship between the arms be maintained.

6. A chair including a stationary arm, a movable widened arm, means forsupport-ing the forward end of the stationary arm, a guide connectedwith said movable arm having lateral grooves therein, a bearing cupsecured to said supporting means and projecting astride said guide, andballs in said cup that engage said guide in the grooves thereof.

7 A chair including a stationary arm, a movable widened arm, means forsupporting the forward end of the stationary arm, a guide connected withsaid movable arm having lateral grooves therein, a bearing connectedwith said support and projecting astride said guide and engaging the armin said grooves, and a second bearing secured to said stationary arm inwhich said first mentioned bearing is laterally mounted, whereby thebearings will permit said movable arm to have both longitudinal andoscillatory movements.

8. A chair including a stationary widened arm, means for supporting thesame, a movable widened arm, a guide secured to said stationary arm withlongitudinal grooves in the sides thereof, and a bearing secured to themovable arm that projects astride the guide in said stationary arm andengages the same in the grooves thereof, whereby the movable arm may beguided in its move ment and maintained in proper vertical relationshipwith said stationary arm.

9. A chair including a stationary widened arm, means for supporting thesame, a movable widened arm, a guide secured to the stationary arm aportion of which is longitudinal thereto and a portion curved, a bearingcup secured to the movable arm that projects astride the guide on thestationary arm, balls in said bearing cup that engage said guide, andanother bearing on which said bearing cup is rotatably mounted, wherebythe bearing construction in connection with said movable arm can travelalong both the straight and curved portions of said guide.

10. A chair includingastationary widened arm, a bar secured upon thefront post of the chair under said arm and secured at its ends to theedges of said arm and spaced from said arm, a movable widened armlocated bet-ween said stationary arm and cross bar, a longitudinal guideon the under side of said movable arm, and bearings mounted on ing theforward end of the stationary arm, a guide for guidlng the movement orsold movable arm which guide has a groove in the bottom and on each sidethereof, a hearsaid balls in their engagement with said guide.

In Witness whereof, We have hereunto aflixed our signatures in thepresence of the Witnesses herein named.

FLOYD E. PAYNE. MILUS M. HOUSE. lVitnesses O. M. GREENER, J. H. SWAN.

